«Тахиййат»: Сборник статей в честь Н. Н. Дьякова

m 180 n Ludmila Torlakova A substantial group of idioms referring to ignorance or stupidity is formed by expressions with the same formal structure as (18) on the pattern ░af░alu min that is an adjective in comparative form with the preposition min (than). The majority of these similes are constructed by using the adjective ░a ḥ maq (dumb, stupid, silly) on the left side (right in Arabic), while after the preposition min a word or a phrase denoting the vehicle 1 of the comparison is used. A limited number of expressions make use of the adjective ░ablad (stupid, doltish, dull-witted) and ░ajhal (ignorant, unknowing). Based on a rough count, the semantic field of stupidity and ignorance incorporates some 44 such items. 2 The most common vehicle is an animal known for its stupid- ity or used as a symbol of stupidity in Arab culture. Proper names of people known to have spoken or acted in socially unacceptable, foolish ways are also used. These idioms have direct and tangible meanings. But it is not always easy to determine the array of connotations inherent in the form and attained in discourse. Consider these examples: (19) ░ abladu mina l-thawri — stupid, dull-witted (lit., stupider than a bull) (20) ░abladu min sula ḥ fātin — stupid, apathetic (lit., stupider, more apa- thetic than a turtle) (21) ░ajhalu min ḥ imārin/░aqrabin/farāshatin — stupid, ignorant (lit., stupider, more ignorant than a donkey/scorpion/moth) (22) ░a ḥ maqu min ḥ ubārā/ ḥ amāmatin/░aq░aqin/al- ḍ abi░i — awfully stupid (lit., stupider than a bustard/dove/magpie/hyena) (23) ░a ḥ maqu min lā ṭ imi l-░ar ḍ a bi-khaddihi — awfully stupid (lit., stu- pider than someone hitting the ground with his cheek) (24) ░a ḥ maqu min lā░iqi l-mā░i — awfully stupid (lit., stupider than some- one licking water) (25) ░a ḥ maqu mimman ░akhadha l-mā░a bi-░i ṣ ba░ihi — awfully stupid (lit., stupider than someone who takes water with his finger) (26) ░a ḥ maqu min Habbaqa/Ju ḥ ā/░Abī Ghubshān/ Ḥ udhumma — awfully stupid (lit., stupider than Habbaqa/Ju ḥ ā 3 /░Abū Ghubshān/ Ḥ udhumma 1 I. A. Richard’s term corresponding to the Arabic mushabbah bihi. 2 ░ A. S. Dāwūd has given a comprehensive counting of the ten most frequent idioms in a larger selection of books. ░A. S. Dāwūd, al-░Amthāl al-░arabiyya al-qadīma: Dirāsa ░uslūbiyya, sardiyya, ḥ a ḍ ariyya (Beirut, 2009). 3 Ju ḥ ā is “the nickname of a personage whom popular imagination [by early Islamic times had] made the hero of a few hundred jests, anecdotes and amusing stories”. Cf. Ch. Pellat, EI , II, s.v. Dju ḥ ā , 590b.